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Topic: I have AFB now what (Read 5442 times)

Can you still buy lye here? The last time we tried making soap, it was next to impossible to get. (I guess all the meth heads bought it up) My wife found some no name brand somewhere and went through grief to buy it.

I'm not sure about your area, but you can get sodium hydroxide/caustic soda/drano here in most supermarkets. Just be very careful with the stuff (gloves and eye protection etc) and add the caustic soda to the water, not the other way around or you will have a violent corrosive explosion. :shock:

If you have some time and some wood ash, you can make your own potassium hydroxide just like they used to when homemade soap was the only alternative. I seem to remember that there was a test to get the right concentration of lye involving floating a fresh egg or a potato in the solution so that about 25% of the egg/potato is above the surface. If you google "lye water" you get a few good starting points. I'm not sure of the effect on AFB, but lye will remove your skin pretty quick as well as unblock your sink.

I would NOT use the Drano, but the lye is usually sold as a drain opener and is MOSTLY the same as Drano. The metallic aluminum burns pretty hot in the Drano. Lye seems to have gotten harder to find. It used to be in every grocery, hardware and drugstore. Now I have to search for it.

"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

As a microbiologist I suggest irradiation of everything! I would also package up all of your equipment as well and get it all irradiated... it will save you a whole lot of hassle later. AFB spores are incredibly resistant to a whole lot of things and irradiation is the only sure fire way of dealing with it! Don't take shortcuts.

Also, in regard your stands, I'd get a blow torch on to them if you can and also move them to another location - don't leave them in the location where spores could potentially be in the soil - and then, if it's feasible, make the old spot a rubbish pile and have a bonfire over it.

As a microbiologist I suggest irradiation of everything! AFB spores are incredibly resistant to a e over it.

I agree with the "BUZZ" but id go one step further , wait till fire danger is over and nuke the earth where they were located, i got one of those weed burner things that run off Kerosine its great for that sort of thing you can get some that run off gas too.

Hey guys,I have bundle up all my old gear and I have washed it in bleach and now double bagged it up ready for irradiation.I have destroyed all 80 frames.* Its great having a Microbiologist to get advise off for free COOL!

I have flamed the stands with a Propane gas torch and the earth around them.Even though the DPI said don't bother. They assured me not to worry about moving my apiary which I am still concerned about. I have 4 acres but the apiary is in a terrific spot. I can hear here you all, better to move it than lose all you gear again. ahhhhhhhhhh.

The main guy I have been speaking with is a leading Bee Scientist I expect he knows his Disease's.

The DPI have continually assured me not to worry about the apiary, saying that AFB lives in Honey and pollen and that there would not be any contamination in or on the Hives Stands or the ground.

A side note to this is that these were all new packages installed in November 2012. They hadn't been robbed by me as they were just starting to power up. They had only been in the supers for three weeks or so.

Thanks Mulesii, I watched that vid it was good. That is what Finiski was saying that it is common practice in European Countries to shake them out.In Aussie Land we have to destroy the colonies and we can't use terramycin(I think)

Well I have done my best. I have moved my hive stands a short distance and there is no residue of wax or propolis to be seen.I now realise its a bonus to have millions of ants living around my Apiary.Even when I had six hives you would be lucky to see a dead Bee on the ground. As there was always hungry little black ants waiting patiently with knife and forks ready to dismember them :evil:

Hey guys,I have bundle up all my old gear and I have washed it in bleach and now double bagged it up ready for irradiation.I have destroyed all 80 frames.* Its great having a Microbiologist to get advise off for free COOL!

I have flamed the stands with a Propane gas torch and the earth around them.Even though the DPI said don't bother. They assured me not to worry about moving my apiary which I am still concerned about. I have 4 acres but the apiary is in a terrific spot. I can hear here you all, better to move it than lose all you gear again. ahhhhhhhhhh.

The main guy I have been speaking with is a leading Bee Scientist I expect he knows his Disease's.

The DPI have continually assured me not to worry about the apiary, saying that AFB lives in Honey and pollen and that there would not be any contamination in or on the Hives Stands or the ground.

A side note to this is that these were all new packages installed in November 2012. They hadn't been robbed by me as they were just starting to power up. They had only been in the supers for three weeks or so.

IMHO what a waste of resources for the bees this is 1 of the main reason you irradiation so you can save the comb.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

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"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

This is one of the fastest ways to contaminate a lots of wooden ware by using Petrol to kill bee. Who told you to use Petrol to kill honey bees ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

« Last Edit: February 10, 2013, 11:38:41 PM by Jim 134 »

Logged

"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Hey Lone,getting stuff irradiated is a real pain this way. A 1000 K trip for me and the process takes 24hrs so a two night stay in Sydney for me.(More for You)$10 per box is the basic charge,Honey and pest are not permitted in or on combs.All gear has to be double wrapped,any leaking of honey during irradiation will cost the customer a $200 clean up fee.I emailed them about small lots however I have not been blessed with a reply yet.

Hey Lone,getting stuff irradiated is a real pain this way. A 1000 K trip for me and the process takes 24hrs so a two night stay in Sydney for me.(More for You)$10 per box is the basic charge,Honey and pest are not permitted in or on combs.All gear has to be double wrapped,any leaking of honey during irradiation will cost the customer a $200 clean up fee.I emailed them about small lots however I have not been blessed with a reply yet.

A fair major project for only 9 box's and gear.

As far as the petrol thing goes I did it!

cheersSteve

I agree, if ever i am unlucky enough to get it im burning everything not messing around with it

I agree too. It hardly seems worth it, the distance you have to travel.

You know, I have a similarly bad disease in my chooks, returned about 4 times. Incurable, and kills 80-90% of them within 2 weeks, leaving the remainder highly contagious. The DPI tested them twice. I followed DPI recommendations, spelled the yard and coops for longer than the time they said the virus lives for. I managed to find lysol (which contains lye) and sprayed everything. But the next chooks I introduced got it too. Yes there is a vaccination but very hard to get here..needs transport in dry ice 1000km. Main trouble is the old timers who have bred chooks for over 60 years think the vaccine will spread disease to their chooks :roll: So I have stopped showing for several years and locked up a few for eggs only.